InaGo: Our Casual Date
by Vera The Awesome
Summary: When Shindou and Kirino discover why Tenma's been so tense around Tsurugi lately, they set the two up on a date to bring them closer. RanTaku and KyouTen, a collab story.
1. Tension

**A/N: Konbanwa, minna-san! This story is a collab between me and the awesometastic Elfana. This was my very first collab and it was a lot of fun, so I hope I can do it again sometime~! Enjoy the first chapter, everyone! -heart-**

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><p>Tenma's school day was over, as was his one and only club activity. He was the last member of the soccer team lingering outside, as he had offered to stack away the balls they trained with today. Tenma was in no particular hurry to join the others in the changing room and prepare to go home; his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about today's practice, which had started in a rather peculiar way: with a confession.<p>

"_Everyone, I have an announcement to make."_

Tenma shut his eyes, recalling the memory when his captain took the pink-haired defender by the hand and looked his teammates in the eye. Kirino lowered his gaze shyly, sharing a blush with his best friend as he spoke.

"_Me… Me and Kirino are officially going out!"_

The reactions among the team weren't very varied. Everyone was happy for them, that's for sure. The biggest difference was that one half of the team simply smiled and congratulated them in a calm manner, apparently having seen this moment coming. The other half was more surprised, but at the same time psyched for them. Tenma's reaction was in the middle: he hadn't picked up on signs that captain and Kirino-senpai might get together and he was certainly enthused when they announced their relationship, but at the same time, there was a part of his mind, or was it his heart, that forced him to stay calm. That forced him to be envious.

Tenma didn't understand why. He had no experience with love, but he knew the most he felt for both Shindou and Kirino was a deep respect. No, this nagging feeling didn't have to do with them. It had to do with someone he respected even more, because this person possessed the strength and courage to follow his heart and escape from the darkness of the bad side.

Tenma caught himself blushing just when he thought of Tsurugi these days. Whenever they looked at each other, whenever Tsurugi spoke to him and encouraged him during practice, his heart tended to beat a little faster than usual. His cheeks went red when he focused on his face, his movements, and that charm that was always present in his deep voice. The moment Tenma noticed these phenomenons, he had tried his best to convince himself it was mere admiration he felt for Tsurugi. He had never even had a crush, and the thought of falling in love with one of his closest friends embarrassed him greatly, especially one he looked up to. He tried and tried to view Tsurugi as his friend, just a friend, until today. When he heard his seniors speak openly about their relationship and only give him one desire: to be able to do the exact same thing with the one he liked.

Tenma sighed sadly. Yeah right. Even _if_ Tsurugi liked him on that level, he'd sink through the floor before announcing _anything_ romantic, or even platonic. But it wasn't so much about being public with him: Tenma realized this afternoon, when Shindou spoke those seven words, that he was truly in love with Tsurugi. There was really no use denying it when his heart went crazy at the simple thought of holding Tsurugi's hand, just like his seniors did.

Tenma put away the last ball and made for the changing room, still deep in thought. What was he supposed to do? These feelings for Tsurugi only seemed to grow by the day, it was impossible to just wish them away. Should he confess? How would Tsurugi respond? He couldn't even imagine it. He valued their friendship and he knew Tsurugi did the same, but had the ex-Seed ever thought about them on more than a platonic level…? Probably not, that was just him. There was no way Tsurugi liked him the same way. But still, even when that thought hurt, Tenma longed to get closer to him, to be able to walk side by side and do fun things with him…

The brunet opened the door to the changing room and felt his face go red. Tsurugi was the only one left in the room, currently pulling his sweaty T-shirt over his head. He perked up when he noticed Tenma, unaware of what his half-naked sight was doing to the brunet's heart and mind, and calmly said: "Yo, Matsukaze. Finished stacking up the balls?"

Tenma started rambling in plain Gibberish and held up his hands as if to emphasize his non-existent words. His brain felt completely scrambled; not only did he adore Tsurugi for his personality, his looks weren't bad either. Not bad _at all_. Tenma never imagined himself capable of getting a nosebleed for reasons other than his body feeling like it, but the sight of Tsurugi's bare chest almost did the job.

Tenma quickly averted his gaze and finally managed to get his train of thought back in order. "Y… yeah," he replied, knowing Tsurugi was looking at him oddly. Darn it, he just made a complete fool of himself. That's what his friend was doing to him. Tenma regained eye contact and laughed awkwardly, as if to make up for his behavior, but he knew that was just making it worse. He then zipped to his locker and felt Tsurugi's eyes on his back. Tenma squeezed his own shut. Now that he had affirmed his romantic feelings to himself, he felt twice as nervous around the blue-haired boy, and he almost didn't know how to act. _Act normal, act normal…!_

Tenma twirled 180 degrees, a hand behind his head, and started: "S-so, that was a great shot you di—GAH!" Not just his nose, but his entire face felt like it was about to explode. Tsurugi glanced at him after he was done pulling off his shorts and raised an eyebrow, having no idea what went on in his friend's mind.

"… Matsukaze… are you okay…?"

Tenma made another one-eighty and yelled at the wall: "I-I'm fine, I'm fine! I'm sorry!" He decided he should change himself and get out of here, before Tsurugi took note of his crimson cheeks and started to question them. Keeping himself turned away from his friend, he removed his own clothes, trying to remember when he started to view Tsurugi's almost-naked state the way he did now. The two had seen each other naked many times before, but ever since Tenma started to find him attractive, he wasn't able to view him casually anymore. Tsurugi wasn't just good-looking, he was… sexy. Extremely sexy. It should be forbidden to be this sexy.

Tenma rushed out of the changing room before Tsurugi managed to finish himself, shouting a haphazard "Bye!" Seeing as Shinsuke and Aoi had gone ahead, he was going home alone today. Tenma made his way through the halls of the school and took a turn at the lockers, where he saw another surprising sight. Shindou held Kirino by the shoulders, gently keeping him pressed against the lockers as the two shared a gentle kiss. Their eyes were shut and they seemed lost in their own little world. A world Tenma once again felt envious of.

"C-captain! S-senpai! I'm sorry…!" he stammered, quickly turning his head away. He felt like it was rude to just stare at his seniors like that.

Shindou and Kirino abruptly broke the kiss when they realized someone caught them and looked at the brunet, a blush on their cheeks. Shindou pulled his hands back and Kirino went to stand straight up, having relied on Shindou's grasp.

"Tenma," Shindou spoke up, and he approached the nervous first-year with a shy smile. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I suppose you're not used to seeing us this close."

"N-no, it's okay, it was my fault for interrupting you," Tenma insisted, managing an awkward smile of his own. He suddenly remembered something and looked his captain firmly in the eye. "A-anyway, I'm so sorry if I seemed distant this afternoon! I was happy for you, and I still am! I-I wish both of you the best!"

Shindou and Kirino let out a chuckle at his stuttering and took each other by the hand, sending the brunet a smile.

"It's fine, Tenma, don't worry about it," Kirino reassured him in a gentle tone. "We don't blame you for being surprised, most of the team was."

Shindou nodded in agreement and added: "Still, I couldn't help but notice you did seem… distant. Not in a surprised way, but in a more… absent-minded way. Is something bothering you, Tenma?"

"Ah, no! Everything is fine!" Tenma said and tried smiling enthusiastically. "Don't worry about it, captain!" His eyes flicked down to the linked hands of his seniors and he felt a pang of jealousy flash through him again. "S-So… I will be going now! I hope you have a pleasant date!" Tenma said and bowed, dashing off after Kirino and Shindou had wished him a good afternoon.

The two older boys watched him go. "There is something bothering him, isn't there?" Kirino asked, his head tilted slightly.

"Well… We can't do much unless we know what exactly is bothering him." Shindou said, squeezing his boyfriend's hand. "Let's go, we have strawberry cake in the fridge."

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><p>Meanwhile, Tsurugi strutted through the hallways of school as well. He was dressed in his casual clothes instead of the school uniform. He was going home, why bother wearing the uniform when he was leaving anyway?<p>

Tenma had acted strange today. Normally his friend would hang around him, looking him straight in the eye. Tsurugi had seen many emotions flash in those blue orbs. Sadness and worry, for example. But when they got to know each other better, he usually saw sparkles of excitement and admiration. Tenma's excitement was almost contagious. Almost.

But he seemed to avoid looking at him today. Tsurugi couldn't remember doing anything to offend or hurt his friend. The blue-haired boy was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice his feet had brought him to the hospital where his brother was staying.

"Ah, Tsurugi-kun. You're coming for your brother, aren't you?" A nurse asked. "You two have such a wonderful bond." She smiled as she passed by.

And thus, not much later, Tsurugi found himself sliding open the door to his brother's room.

"Nii-san…"

"Ah, Kyousuke!" The older Tsurugi brother was, as usual, sitting in his bed. On his lap was a book he had been reading. "How nice of you to visit me." Yuuichi smiled at his little sibling and closed the book.

"How are you doing, nii-san?" Tsurugi asked as he sat down on the chair near his brother's bed. He decided that he would ask his brother about Tenma's strange behaviour. His brother was a few years older after all, which meant he had dealt with strange behaviour of friends for a longer time.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. I gave the revalidation training my best today. I hope you're still doing your best at school too?"

"Of course!" Tsurugi's head snapped up, as if offended.

"That's good. I saw Raimon's last match on TV. I'm proud, Kyousuke." Yuuichi said and smiled.

His little brother huffed and turned his head. "It's nothing, really."

"Anyway, you look rather troubled. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Darn. His brother was always so sharp and he still hadn't figured out how he would ask his brother for his advice.

"W-Well… There is this boy in my class." Tsurugi started and coughed. "And he's friends with this other boy in my class. And lately, his friend started acting strange. So he asked me what it could be, but I'm not sure." He swallowed and avoided his brother's gaze. "A-And it's really bothering me because I want to give him some tips or something."

Yuuichi hummed. "So his friend started behaving strange?" A nod confirmed this. "He starts avoiding his friend, for example?"

"Yes. He makes sure he leaves as soon as possible, without saying anything. He just left me— I mean his friend there!" Tsurugi snapped and jumped up. "His friend!" He added once more.

"Hm… Did something happen to them? Did it happen today too?"

"Well, Matsukaze practiced with his Avatar. That one girl made photos of captain Shindou." Tsurugi muttered. "And talking about the captain, he's going out with his best friend. They made it public today. So nothing out of ordinary happened."

"Yes. I see." Yuuichi smiled. "Well, I'm sure the problem between your classmates will solve itself. And if not, perhaps they need a little push in the good direction. I think the captain of Raimon is quite wise. Perhaps you should listen to him some more."

Tsurugi raised an eyebrow. "Captain? What does he have to do with this?"

His brother flashed a sugar-sweet smile and replied: "You can't fool me for even one second that this "friend" is anyone other than yourself, Kyousuke."

Dammit. Tsurugi avoided eye contact, feeling a slight blush creep onto his cheeks when he realized he was busted. His brother would probably never change. Even when he was tied to a hospital bed, he could still see straight through him. While that element did play part in the fact that they had such an understanding bond, it was also a factor that drove him nuts when it was utilized at wrong moments. Such as this one.

Yuuichi simply uttered a soft chuckle and continued: "Shindou-san knows more about Matsukaze-kun than I do, Kyousuke. He'll be able to help you better in this situation."

Tsurugi's cheeks went even redder and he immediately regained eye contact with his brother. "I-I never said it was Matsukaze!"

"But it is, isn't it?" Again with that smile. "He's the one you talk about the most. And while you may have a good relationship with your other teammates, he's the only one you care enough for to want to give advice, isn't he?"

Tsurugi resorted to crossing his arms and grumbling something to his lap, obviously displeased with having his own feelings laid bare to him. "I guess so..."

Yuuichi sent him a meaningful glance. He had always noticed this spark his younger brother emanated whenever he mentioned Tenma, how he smiled more often while saying his name and how his eyes lit up when he told him about their interactions. There was no doubt in Yuuichi's mind that his brother felt more for the brunet than mere friendship. It seemed like Tenma possessed the ability to open a certain door in his heart, a door that allowed a special kind of affection to roam free. But seeing as something as platonic as a simple friendship was more than enough for Tsurugi to handle, Yuuichi decided not to increase the pressure with the mention of feelings he might still be a little too young and naïve to grasp. He wasn't worried; his little brother would understand in due time.

When Tsurugi got up to leave not much later, Yuuichi added: "Oh, and Kyousuke? Please congratulate Shindou-san and Kirino-kun from me."

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><p><strong>AN: That's it for the first chapter, expect an update soon! ;3 Please leave a review if you like!**


	2. The plan

**A/N: Wow, thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, everyone! Me and Elfana are blown away! X3**

**Elfana: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, guys! We're psyched about them! Please enjoy the next chapter!**

**Vera: And with that, here it is! ;3**

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><p>"Go on, open up."<p>

Kirino obediently opened his mouth and licked his lips after he swallowed the strawberry that originally belonged to Shindou's slice of cake. "Mmm," he smiled, "I love strawberries."

"I know," Shindou grinned as he poked his fork into another strawberry and held it up for his best friend to eat. The two of them were sitting on his bed, having the last bit of strawberry cake. The brunet was well aware of Kirino's love for strawberries, so when they had this kind of cake, he would usually hand over his fruit to him. The cute smile Kirino flashed as he cheered up at the sight of more strawberries was enough to send his heart racing.

Kirino happily consumed all of the strawberries Shindou shared with him, not minding being fed. After he finished his piece of cake, he put the plate aside and looked at his boyfriend. "Wanna get started on our homework?"

Shindou took a last bite himself and smiled at him, tilting his head slightly. "Can I have a kiss first?"

Kirino blushed, but nodded and leaned closer. His heart sped up as soon as their lips met, which it had a habit of doing in front of the brunet these days. Their relationship now counted three weeks, but the slightest touch between them was enough for Kirino's stomach to tickle inside, reminding him how lucky he was that Shindou shared the same feelings as him.

Just as the pink-haired boy was about to pull back and return to the matter at hand, Shindou gently held him by the shoulders to keep him in place. While the Raimon captain eagerly deepened the kiss, he wrapped his arms around Kirino's neck, pulling him close. Kirino's blush increased at this gesture, but he happily placed his own hands on Shindou's back and sank away in the kiss. He didn't resist when he felt Shindou press him back and softly leaned down on the bed. As Shindou moved along and rested on top of him, the boys closed their eyes and simply enjoyed their little moment.

Shindou broke the kiss after a little while and smiled at the other boy, who smiled just as brightly back. He brought one hand to Kirino's cheek and caressed it tenderly. "Darn, I'm lucky..." he whispered.

Kirino chuckled a little and placed his hand on Shindou's, entwining their fingers. "Why?"

"Because... I have such an amazing boyfriend," Shindou answered, and he leaned down to kiss Kirino's neck as if to prove his point.

Kirino uttered another snicker when the brunet shifted his collar aside to make room for more kisses, figuring homework was the last thing on his mind right now. Shindou's sense of responsibility was always unusually high, but whenever the two of them became intimate, he seemed to forget all about his obligations.

"Shindou, homework," he reminded his boyfriend in a gentle tone, running his other hand through his soft curls.

"I told you "Takuto" is just fine, didn't I?" Shindou breathed without moving from his spot. "Ranmaru..."

Kirino blushed again when he heard his first name escape from Shindou's lips. He couldn't help but feel amazingly happy whenever the two of them found themselves in such a close position, no matter how many times it happened. Flashing another smile, the shorter boy brought his hands back to Shindou's back and caressed it lightly. He was planning to stay over anyway; there was no harm in delaying homework for a bit. They could enjoy the current situation for a little longer... Kirino shut his eyes, enjoying Shindou's tender kisses, and whispered back: "Takuto..."

Just as Shindou moved his lips from his neck to his ear, the boys were interrupted by a familiar ringtone. The brunet sighed in mild annoyance when he realized it was his cell phone ringing inside his schoolbag. He muttered a quick "Darn it" before he sat up, fished out the device and brought it to his ear. "Shindou speaking." He blinked in surprise when he recognized the voice on the other side of the line. "Tsurugi?"

Kirino also pushed himself up, wondering what Tsurugi could be calling for. Even though he shared Shindou's disappointment towards the interruption, he patiently waited while he made the call. He leaned up behind his boyfriend and wrapped his arms around his neck, which earned him a loving smile that he instantly returned. Shindou frowned a moment later, however, as he listened to what their friend had to say. "You noticed it too?"

"Noticed what?" Kirino whispered curiously.

"Tenma's odd behaviour," Shindou whispered back, but seeing as his mouth was right next to the phone, Tsurugi easily picked up his words.

"It seems I'm interrupting something," he muttered. "It's not that important anyway. Want me to call you back?"

"N-no, no, that's fine," Shindou replied awkwardly. "Anyway, what did you want to tell me?"

"Well... You noticed Matsukaze's been acting weird lately, right? I wonder if it's because of me... He barely even looked at me in the locker room today, he seemed to want to avoid me at all costs. For some reason, he acted really nervous and kept stuttering when he spoke."

"Seriously?" Shindou's eyes went wide. Tsurugi's description was an exact match with Tenma's behaviour from before. "Are you guys in a fight?"

"No, we're doing just fine... I think," Tsurugi answered hesitantly. "I don't think I did anything to upset him. I'm just wondering if he told you anything."

Shindou shook his head, but then remembered he was on the phone. "No, nothing. I did notice something must be troubling him, though... I'll talk to him about it, okay?"

"Okay."

Shindou flashed a small smile. "Thanks for your concern, Tsurugi." He could practically hear the boy flap his free arm as he protested: "I-it's not really concern, I just wanna know what's up!"

"Of course you do," the brunet nodded. "I'll call you when I know more. Bye, Tsurugi." He lowered his phone after Tsurugi hung up and glanced at his boyfriend, who had resorted to combing his hair with his fingers again. "It seems the two of us aren't the only ones who noticed Tenma's change in behaviour. Tsurugi's worried about him as well."

Kirino widened his own eyes when Shindou shared Tsurugi's story with him. "He's even like that in front of Tsurugi? Those two have been so close lately... And you're sure they're not fighting?"

Shindou nodded once more. "Even if they were, Tenma would want to face the problem head-on, not avoid it. Still, I think Tsurugi might be the cause of Tenma's awkwardness."

"What do you mean?" Kirino asked. "What could it be if it's not a fight?"

Shindou put a hand on his chin, pondering. "There is something about Tsurugi that repels Tenma... and if we take his rather... dull reaction to our announcement into account... Could he be envious...?"

Kirino thought along with him and continued his theory. "Envious because he might have romantic feelings of his own... and our announcement just rubbed in that he's stuck with them. We all know Tsurugi's a tough nut to crack. Tenma might be scared of confessing to him... and because he doesn't know what to do, he tries to avoid him."

Shindou exhaled a sigh and rubbed a hand across his face. "This certainly wasn't my intention... Not only did I make the situation worse, I didn't help him with this problem either... I'm supposed to be his captain, and yet..."

"Don't blame yourself, Shindou," Kirino told him, and he placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Nobody's at fault here. We're not used to Tenma being so nervous, it's new to all of us. Not to mention the fact he might be in love for the first time... Besides, it's not too late to help him, right?"

Shindou glanced at the other boy. "But how can we help him? Urging him to confess will just push him further back into his shell."

"Do we want him to confess, though?" Kirino replied. "We're not even sure how Tsurugi feels about him; we don't want to risk putting a dent in their friendship. No, I think we need to go with something lighter... like a date."

Shindou raised his eyebrows in surprise. "A date?"

Kirino smiled at him and elaborated: "We don't even need to call it a date, it can be a simple outing. If we have them spend time with each other outside of school, we can allow for their bond to grow, and it's the perfect chance to see how deeply Tsurugi actually feels for Tenma."

"That's true..." Shindou nodded. "Still, if we want to send them on an outing, what should we go with? We obviously can't make it overly romantic, I doubt either of them would go in that case... It has to be something friends can do—" He interrupted himself when an idea popped up in his mind and brought a smile to his face. "—I've got it!"

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><p>Practise went less than perfect the next day. Tenma was usually able to push his problems aside, at least temporarily, by focusing on soccer. He had managed to so the other day in spite of his nervousness. But today, all of his teammates caught air of his rather messy plays, sliding past his Soyokaze Step, blocking all of his shoots and watching with pained faces how his head unintentionally caught the ball not once, not twice, but three times in total. They inquired about his well-being a couple of times, but he awkwardly waved them off. Shindou and Kirino both noticed Tsurugi was one of the few who stayed quiet, whereas he usually wouldn't hesitate to help his friend. It was a good idea to patch a plan together; the two first-years risked drifting apart at this rate.<p>

Once practice was over, the couple waited in the changing room until the four of them were alone. This proved to be less difficult than they thought: Tenma and Tsurugi were both amazingly slow, and instead of making conversation, they each stared at the wall with their backs to each other. After Hamano followed Hayami out with his usual plea to go fishing together, Shindou and Kirino gave each other a small nod, and the Raimon captain cleared his throat to catch Tenma and Tsurugi's attention.

"Ahem. Tenma, Tsurugi? We have something we would like to give to you."

Kirino reached into his pocket and pressed something in their hands. Both boys stared at their gifts in shock and exclaimed: "Tickets to the zoo?" at the same time.

"My family wants to go soon but we found out we have two extras," Shindou shrugged casually. That was a little white lie; he would have to buy two new tickets if he and Kirino wanted to follow those two around in the park. They had agreed it would be safer to keep an eye on the troubled couple, in case something was about to go wrong. "So we figured you could use them! Make sure to go together, okay?"

While Tenma looked away in a futile attempt to hide the blush on his cheeks, Tsurugi glared at their seniors and snapped: "Why would we go together? It's almost like a date!"

The two boys basically answered "Exactly" through their overly polite smiles. "We noticed there's some tension between you two lately, that's all," Kirino shrugged as well. "We figured it's only healthy if you spend some time off with each other."

Tsurugi frowned and looked over at Tenma, who was still avoiding eye contact. He sighed at the lack of response from the brunet and held out his hand, intending to return the ticket. "We can't accept this," he said. "It's too generous."

"Please, we insist!" Shindou replied, holding up his hands in refusal. "It's really no problem. It's one of my many tasks as a captain to watch over my teammates and aid in their problems."

Tsurugi was about to deny the presence of a problem to begin with, but he knew that would be useless. His captain was aware of the rightfully pointed out tension between him and Tenma, and he apparently thought pushing them together was a better idea than just asking Tenma what the hell was going on. Exhaling another sigh, the blue-haired boy glanced at his friend again and asked: "Matsukaze?"

"Uh.. ah.." Tenma glanced from the tickets to Shindou and Kirino, before looking at Tsurugi. "Uhm…" A troubled expression flashed over his face before he made up his mind. "Let's go! I'd love to go to the zoo." He smiled his usual smile, a blush creeping on his cheeks.

The team captain sighed in relief. It would have been troublesome if Tenma had refused the tickets. Still, Tenma was hardly someone who would ever refuse a gift, afraid he would offend someone. Yes, this was going to work.

"Alright, then… It could be…" Tsurugi struggled for the words. "Fun." He decided to go with, playing it safe.

"It will be! It's going to be loads of fun!" Tenma said and tugged the ticket in his bag. He made sure to zip the bag closed, patting it when he was done. "There. I can't lose it, it was a gift after all."

Kirino released his breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He shook his head before smiling. "If I may suggest another thing, this Saturday the weather would be perfect to go out. Sunny and with almost no chance of rain."

Tenma's face was now completely red. "A-Alright! Thanks Kirino-senpai, Shindou-senpai." He said, bowing down. His blue eyes flashed to Tsurugi when he stood back up again. "Uhm… So this Saturday? Around 9 at the zoo? How does that sound?"

"Sounds fine. I'll meet you there." Tsurugi muttered a thanks to his upperclassmen before he waved goodbye, fleeing the scene.

The smallest boy turned to face his seniors again. "W-Well… I'll be going now!"

As the boy dashed out of their sight, Kirino giggled. "I was so afraid they wouldn't accept the tickets!" He leaned against his boyfriend, locking their hands together.

Shindou squeezed Kirino's hand. "But they did. And now we are going to buy ourselves new tickets... Do you think wearing a hat and sunglasses at once would be too suspicious?"

"Yes." Kirino said, nodding. He smiled to the brunet. "If you wear sunglasses, I'll wear a hat. My hair is easy to recognize."

"I agree with that. It's really flashy." Shindou teased and softly tugged at one of his boyfriend's pigtails. "I love it, though."

"You better."

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><p>"Hey, Tenma! Welcome home!" Aki greeted him as he ran up to the doghouse, greeting his dog Sasuke. His loyal pal licked him happily, glad to have his owner back at home.<p>

"I'm home!" Tenma said and patted Sasuke for the last time before walking over to the woman standing in the doorway with a plate of cookies.

"How was practice?" She asked, motioning him to grab a cookie of her plate, which he did.

"Gweat!" Tenma said, chewing on the snack at the same time. He rummaged in his bag and took out the zoo ticket. "I'm going to the zoo this Saturday." He said after swallowing.

"Oh, that's sound like fun! Is the whole team going?" Aki said as they walked inside. She placed the cookie plate on the table and sat down on a chair, looking to the boy.

"No… Captain gave a ticket to me and one to Tsurugi." He flushed a little when he thought about it. "They said it would be good to… ease our problems…" Tenma frowned. "Tsurugi and me have been acting… a little off these days."

"I see… I noticed it too. You're daydreaming a lot these days. That's quite unusual for you. You're known for facing things without beating around the bush." Aki smiled.

"W-Well, yeah. But… this is different." There was no way Tenma would just walk up to Tsurugi, proclaiming his love for him. Tsurugi would probably laugh at him and ask if he was mental. Yes… He couldn't do that.

Aki looked at him knowingly. "It will be fine, Tenma. You've built an amazing bond with Tsurugi. I'm sure it will be fine."

"Thanks, Aki-nee…" He glanced at the plate again. "Can I have one more? They were delicious."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thanks!" Taking another one, Tenma left the room. "Homework!" he said and he dashed up the stairs, his bag in tow.

"Goodness." Aki smiled to herself after he was gone. "Should this be considered his first date?"

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><p><strong>AN: We hope you enjoyed this chapter, everyone! X3 Let us know what you think!**


	3. The Date: Part 1

**A/N: We can't thank you enough for your awesometastic reviews, guys! *3* We're so happy you all like this fic so much! Enjoy the next chapter! -heart-**

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><p>Tenma woke up with a jolt. Today was Saturday. Today he would go to the zoo with Tsurugi. Alone. With Tsurugi. "Ahh!" He felt his face heat up and he kicked off his blankets.<p>

What should he wear? Why was he even stressing about what he should wear? The brunet opened his closet and picked out his favourite short and T-shirt. Sporty yet casual. Yes, this should be good.

Brushing his teeth as well as looking for his bag where he kept his ticket, he walked through his room. Why was he even rushing? A glance at his clock told him it was only 7 AM.

"Stupid nerves!" he said as he was done brushing his teeth. Stumbling over his bag, he dashed downstairs to eat something.

"Good morning!" Aki greeted him. She was reading the morning paper at the table. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thanks." Tenma said. "H-How do I look?"

Aki grinned behind the newspaper and inspected Tenma's outfit. "You look very handsome."

"Really? Thanks." Tenma smiled, confidently. He took a bowl and poured milk and cereal and said bowl. He quickly shoved the mix inside his mouth with his spoon, almost choking on the food.

"Hey, slow down. You'll be on time." Aki said and held Tenma's hand still.

"I'm just a little nervous." Tenma said. Butterflies twirled around in his stomach. This kind of nervousness was different from the one before a match. He couldn't really describe it.

Aki chuckled. "I'm sure Tsurugi feels a little nervous too. I mean, you guys are doing this to get closer to each other, right?"

Tenma frowned. "Yes. Captain really insisted we should do this."

"And when has the captain ever been wrong? I can't remember one single time you said something bad about Shindou-kun."

"You're right, thanks Aki-nee." Tenma smiled and started eating slower. But still, the butterflies in his stomach were still as rushed as before.

Tenma walked Sasuke, chatting to him about how he hoped today would ease his problems with Tsurugi. "He's a really good friend of mine, you know?" The boy said to his dog, who barked as if he understood. Tenma giggled.

"Tsurugi is a very special person to me… Like Kirino-senpai is to captain." A blush appeared on his cheeks. "And one day I will tell him my feelings, right Sasuke? B-But it's so scary! I really don't know how Tsurugi will react when I tell him…"

Without him knowing he got back when it was 15 minutes to 9, the time he had promised to be at the zoo. "Oh no!"

He jumped on his bike and waved to Aki and Sasuke as he crossed through the streets. When he was halfway, he noticed he didn't have his ticket, which made him go back.

Little did he know Tsurugi and two mysterious boys were already waiting for him at the zoo, wondering if he would even show up.

Hidden behind sunglasses Shindou looked at Tsurugi. "He looks nervous and irritated."

"He's wondering if Tenma will show, just like us. And was this really necessary?" Kirino spoke up. He was wearing an enormous straw hat and a green summer dress. "I mean, a dress?"

"Yes. We won't be recognized this way. Who expects you to wear a dress?"

Kirino was about to open his mouth but his boyfriend shushed him. "There's Tenma."

Tenma parked his bike and ran up to the blue-haired male. "Hey, Tsurugi!"

Tsurugi perked up and took a moment to observe the boy in his casual clothes. While he was wearing his usual outfit himself, it wasn't often that he got to see Tenma wear anything other than his school or soccer uniform. Figuring he looked rather charming and inwardly beating himself on the head for thinking that, Tsurugi cleared his throat and tried to sound irritated: "Finally. I've been waiting for twenty minutes."

Twenty? Tenma couldn't help but smile when he realized Tsurugi apparently considered their "outing" so important that he showed up nearly half an hour early. "I'm sorry," he apologized, and he took out his ticket. "Shall we go?"

Tsurugi nodded and held up his own. "Let's."

Shindou and Kirino giggled as they scurried after the couple, following them through the entrance.

"They look so cute together," Kirino commented.

Shindou nodded in agreement and handed in their tickets. The cashier looked at them both while she handed them a map of the park and let out a giggle herself. "On a date with your girlfriend? How cute."

"Yes, I am," Shindou smiled politely, knowing one of the veins on Kirino's forehead was at the verge of popping at that remark. He grinned when they continued walking and Kirino snatched the map out of his hands with a sour face. "Don't be like that, you know I don't see you as a girl."

"Let's have _you _put on a dress and see how you like it," Kirino grumbled. He switched his gaze between the pair in front of them and their location on the map. "Looks like they're going to the monkeys first."

Tenma and Tsurugi indeed ended up at the monkey exhibit, but found there wasn't much to see. Most of the monkeys were simply resting on the monkey mountain, and the ones that did move didn't even leave their place. They seemed completely uncaring towards their visitors.

Tsurugi dived his hands in his pockets, an eyebrow raised at the animals. "Zoo monkeys sure are lazy..."

"Maybe they're just tired from playing around and we just missed it," Tenma suggested with a nervous smile.

Tsurugi shrugged. "Oh well. Nothing to see here. Let's move o—" He noticed the object that came flying at him just in time and ducked in a swift movement, letting it miss him by an inch. He widened his eyes in shock as he leaned back up. "W-what the hell was that?"

"Tsurugi, look!" Tenma pointed at a sign that was seated against the fence and read: _"Warning: monkeys sometimes throw excrement outside of gates."_

... what?

Tenma and Tsurugi only then noticed that nearly all of the monkeys had gotten up and suddenly looked ready to attack them with what one of them had thrown at Tsurugi's head before. Tsurugi shouted "Matsukaze, run!" when they raised the arms and fired full-on. While the two joined hands and fled from the exhibit at a ridiculous speed, another couple at a safe distance nearly failed to hold their laughter.

"T-that was... hilarious...!" Kirino snorted behind his hand.

"D-don't laugh, that's mean!" Shindou told him, although he needed effort to force back the tears in his eyes. He took his boyfriend by the hand and they hurried after Tenma and Tsurugi, who only stopped running after passing a few other exhibits. The two boys sank down on a bench and panted equally.

"... what... the hell..." Tsurugi growled. "Are those monkeys crazy?"

"They... they probably didn't like how you talked about them," Tenma replied, trying to catch his breath. Once he had regained a normal breathing pace, he couldn't help but smile. That was one heck of a crazy start to their outing. He then remembered something and glanced at the gap between him and Tsurugi, where their hands were entwined on the bench.

"... oh!" At the exact same time, the boys pulled back in a reflex and looked at each other with red cheeks.

"S-sorry," Tsurugi stammered. "T-that was... I mean, it would've been bad if you got hit..."

"N-no, it's okay," Tenma stuttered back. He beamed an awkward, yet grateful smile. It wasn't like he _minded _holding Tsurugi's hand, on the contrary. "Thank you, Tsurugi."

After a silence with both boys catching their breaths on the bench, Tenma pulled out the little map they got at the entrance.

"So… Where would you like to go next?" He said, holding the map so they could both look on it. "We're here now." Tenma said, pointing at a dot on the colourful map. "So there are still lots of places to see!"

Tsurugi looked at the map, before pointing at a certain place. "Let's go here. To the penguins."

"Oh! Do you like penguins, Tsurugi?" Tenma said, smiling broadly at his friend.

The taller male was taken aback by the sudden beaming happiness in front of him and turned his head, feeling his cheeks heat up once more. "Yes, well I mean… I don't dislike penguins."

"They have really cute way of walking, don't they?" Tenma mused as he got up from the bench, putting the map into his pocket again. "I'd love to see the penguins!"

"Alright." Tsurugi said, almost chuckling. This was the usual Tenma he had missed. Straightforward and always speaking his mind.

Somewhere in the distance Kirino and Shindou gave each other thumbs up. "This is going great!" Kirino said. "This really was a good idea, Shindou!"

"We can't be sure yet. There are still many things to happen," Shindou's eyes followed the couple moving towards the penguins before turning to his boyfriend, readjusting his hat.

"Hm?" Kirino asked when he felt Shindou tug at his straw hat. "What are you nervous about?"

"Well, this is also our first date since we officially started going out," the brunet blushed and pushed some stray locks of hair behind Kirino's ear. After that he leaned in for a kiss.

"S-Stupid! Someone could see us!" Kirino gasped.

"Yes, people would be shocked if they saw a boy and supposedly a girl kissing." He grabbed Kirino's hands and nervously pecked his lips. "See."

Kirino suddenly grinned and took the lead, kissing his boyfriend back. Someone whistled at them.

Both parted, blushing madly. "W-We should really follow Tsurugi and Tenma now," Kirino said.

"Ah, yes. C'mon," Shindou said, never letting go of Kirino's right hand, pulling the other boy with him.


	4. The Date: Part 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, everyone! I'm sorry it's kinda short but the next one will be up soon! Enjoy! ^0^**

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><p><strong>"<strong>Oh, look! They are being fed!" Tenma beamed. He was dangling over the glass that separated the penguins from the visitors, looking at the zoo janitor. He threw little fish at the penguins that ate them happily.

"Did you know that the pappa penguin watches over the kids?" Tenma asked. "Isn't that adorable?"

"Ah, yes," Tsurugi said, his mind flashing to him and Tenma having a baby penguin to take care of. Tsurugi would stay at home with the penguin and Tenma would leave to work, as a working mum. He quickly shook his head. A baby penguin, what on Earth…

Tenma was still leaning over the glass, trying to see the penguins better. His feet were almost hovering completely above the ground. Tsurugi reached in his pockets. "Where do you want to go next?" He said, moving closer.

The brunet turned his head, about to reply when he noticed Tsurugi was suddenly very close. Startled, he lost his balance and slipped forward.

"Tenma!" Tsurugi barked and grabbed the back of Tenma's shirt, steadying him. They tumbled back on the ground, Tenma on top of Tsurugi. Some people gasped and looked at them.

"Stupid! What were you doing?" Tsurugi exploded. Tenma could have fallen off the edge and seriously injured himself. Tsurugi knew that injuries could ruin dreams, his brother had been the one to teach him that. Tsurugi didn't want Tenma to get hurt at all. He would, if possible, always protect the other boy.

"I… I'm sorry!" Tenma said. "I was looking at the penguins and suddenly you were so close! I hadn't expected that and I was thrown off-guard," Tenma trailed off, placing his hand over his chest. "My heart is beating so fast." He giggled. He closed his eyes, hand still on his chest.

The blue-haired boy took a moment to admire Tenma from up close before shifting. His legs started to hurt from having someone's weight on them. Tenma's eyes snapped open and a blush crept over his cheeks. "Oh! I should get off, of course!" Tenma said, stuttering. He stumbled a little, falling onto Tsurugi all over again before finally getting up. Tsurugi had never seen Tenma blush this badly.

"It's fine. You're not hurt, aren't you?"

"No. I feel great!" Tenma blushed. "Thanks for saving me."

"It was nothing." Tsurugi waved Tenma's gratitude out of the window. He spotted an ice-cream stall a little further down the path. "Uhm… Would you like some ice-cream?" Tsurugi said, hands in his pockets again, not looking at Tenma directly.

"Oh." Tenma said. "Well… I'd love to!"

Tsurugi smiled to himself once more. "My treat." He said, before Tenma could even reach for his wallet. "Which flavour would you like?"

A frown appeared on Tenma's face. "Well… I like chocolate… or melon... What are you getting, Tsurugi?" Tenma asked, his blue eyes focussing on his companion.

Tsurugi shrugged indifferently. "Pistachio, as always."

Tenma's frown was quickly replaced with his usual smile. "I've never had that before! Alright, two pistachios please!" he ordered.

While he watched his friends pay for their cones, Shindou knew he didn't need to look at Kirino to know he was nearly drooling at the thought of some strawberry ice-cream himself. "Alright, alright," he sighed, and he patted his boyfriend's shoulder. "But wait until they've left first. We can't blow our cover."

"Sure," Kirino agreed, but he rushed to the stall as soon as Tenma and Tsurugi walked off. Shindou exhaled another sigh and followed him. He kept an eye on the other couple while Kirino ordered a strawberry and chocolate cone, wanting to make sure they wouldn't escape his sight. The brunet couldn't help but smile, though, when Kirino took the cones and the stall owner thanked him for visiting with a "Miss" at the end of his sentence.

Blushing angrily, Kirino shoved Shindou's cone in his hand and started nipping his own with a pout. Shindou took him by the hand and sent him a loving smile as they walked after their teammates. "Don't let it get to you," he told him, "you're still a boy to me and the team."

"You owe me, you know," Kirino grumbled, and he vented his irritation by digging into his ice-cream at a high enough pace to cause a brain freeze. "Ow..." he moaned, placing a hand on his temple.

"Press your tongue against your palate, it'll go away sooner," Shindou told him.

Kirino followed his advice and managed a smile when the pain was gone. "I'd much rather press my tongue against something else," he grinned, and he suited the action to the word by licking some of Shindou's ice-cream off his boyfriend's cheek.

"H-hey now, wait with that until we get home," Shindou laughed, but he kissed Kirino's cheek in return. "Let's follow Tenma and Tsurugi for now."

"Sure," Kirino smiled, and he looked at the unsuspecting pair ahead of them. He was glad to see there was barely any distance between them as they walked; those two were definitely getting closer. "Looks like they're going to the llamas next."

Tenma was just as happy to see the llamas as the penguins. He refrained from leaning over the fence this time, but Tsurugi suspected the only reason for that was that one of his hands was full. Just like with the penguins, Tenma beamed a cheerful smile and chimed: "They're so cute!"

_But you're cuter_, Tsurugi thought, and his eyes widened the very next moment. Wait, what was he thinking? Since when was Tenma cute? First a family, with a baby penguin to boot, and now this? Tsurugi frowned at himself. He'd better stop these thoughts from invading his head before he went totally crazy. Tenma would probably laugh at him if he ever confessed what he thought of him.

The boys finished their ice-cream and perked up when the llamas' caretaker approached them with one of the camelids. "You're allowed to pet them, you know," he smiled.

Tenma's blue eyes lit up instantly. "I can? Oh, but wait, there's ice-cream on my hands..." He frowned and looked around for the restrooms, spotting them closeby. "I'll be right back, Tsurugi!" Tenma ran off with a wave at his friend, his head filled with so much excitement that he accidentally bumped into Kirino and caused his straw hat to fall off. Just as the defender started to panic about being exposed, the brunet continued running with a hurried "I'm sorry, Miss!", barely looking at him even once.

Kirino picked up the hat with gritted teeth and put it back on. "What did you say about being a boy to the team?" he growled.

Shindou tried not chuckle at that question. He felt for his boyfriend, he really did, but he couldn't deny that it was funny to watch people treat him like a female with that attire. "I promise I'll repay you for this," he smiled, and he gently squeezed his boyfriend's hand.

Kirino couldn't help but smile back and winked: "That's what I thought."

Tsurugi leaned against the fence while waiting for Tenma. His hands were back in his pockets, as he had no interest in petting the llamas. Rather than that, he was pondering about his curious feelings for Tenma, and why he enjoyed spending time with the brunet so much. Unbeknownst to him, though, one of the llamas had an interest in _him_. Tsurugi flinched when he felt something tug him back and turned around. A llama had caught his cape and was happily chewing on it.

"H-hey!" In a reflex, Tsurugi started to pull at his cape, but the llama was headstrong and refused to let go. "Dammit...!" he cursed, and he wished someone would just make him disappear when he heard Tenma's voice behind him: "I'm back! ... hey, have you made friends with that llama, Tsurugi?"

The blue-haired boy sent him a frustrated glare, stubbornly holding onto his cape. "Of course not! It just attacked me out of nowhere!"

"It's not attacking you," Tenma smiled, "it just thinks your cape is tasty!" Finding he quite enjoyed this sight, he suddenly fished his cell phone from his pocket. "I've got to take a picture of this!"

"Don't you dare!" Tsurugi hissed, and his cheeks reddened when the moment was captured. It was only then, of course, that the caretaker noticed what was going on and quickly got the llama to back off.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" he cried, and he bowed deeply to the boys. "Forgive my llama's impudence! The zoo will pay for repair of your clothing!"

Tsurugi took a look at his cape and saw the llama had managed to chew off one of the corners. He cursed the animal on the inside and muttered: "No, it's fine. Let's just move on."

Tenma fingered the cape, a small smile on his features. "He'll always have a little piece of you, now!" the boy said, somehow sounding a little jealous at this statement.

"Idiot. He'll digest it," Tsurugi said. "It is you who's got a little piece of me, since you took a picture."

"Oh, right!" Tenma beamed and he flipped open his phone again, looking at the picture. The llama and Tsurugi were both looking at him, one chewing on a purple piece of fabric and the other glaring. Tenma giggled and showed the picture to his companion.

"Oh god…" Tsurugi said and tried to snatch the phone out of Tenma's hand, but Tenma moved away as fast as his element would let him.

"I'm going put it as my background," Tenma said, fondly looking at the gadget in his hand again.

"Really?" Tsurugi moaned and rolled his eyes. He succeeded in stealing Tenma's phone this time and he yanked at Tenma's arm, wrapping one of his own around Tenma's shoulders. "Smile," he said and pressed the button.

"T-Tsurugi!" gasped Tenma. His face was bright red and he wordlessly took back his cell phone from Tsurugi. On the screen was a cute picture of them both, Tsurugi smirked and Tenma was blushing slightly, too surprised to smile.

"Put that as your background," Tsurugi said, trying his hardest not to sound embarrassed.

"A-Alright," Tenma blushed as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "There." He said and showed his screen to his friend once more.

"Good," Tsurugi said and ruffled his hair. "Where do you want to go now?"

"Ah, do you want to go see the giraffes?" Tenma said, tugging his phone into his pocket again. His fingers stroked his pocket swiftly, as if making sure his treasure was still safe.

Behind them in the shadows a couple was still hiding.

"Oh my!" Kirino exclaimed excitedly. "Did you saw that?"

"Of course, how could I miss it?" Shindou said, smiling pleased. "It's too bad we can't hear what they say, isn't it? But from the looks of it, it's going great."

"I know!" Kirino said, grinning. "Let's go. We can't get too far behind."

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><p><strong>AN: Poor Tsurugi, he's not lucky with animals. XD I hope you enjoyed it so far, minna-san! -heart-**


	5. The Date: Part 3

**A/N: Thank you muchly for your wonderful reviews, minna-san! We're happy you're enjoying the story so much! -heart- This is the second-to-last chapter, enjoy!**

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><p>"Why is it that I can't see the giraffes?" Tenma pouted as they were standing in front of the savannah, where they were supposed to see giraffes. "I see some zebras, though."<p>

"And antelopes," Tsurugi added. "I think the giraffes are inside."

Tenma's shoulders dropped a little. "Aww…" He looked around and spotted a little souvenir shop. His eyes brightened and he dashed over before Tsurugi could even make a comment.

A few minutes later, Tenma walked out again with a little bag in his hand. He halted in front of Tsurugi and gave the bag to the blue-haired male.

"A little present," Tenma said, smiling.

The taller male raised his eyebrows and peeked inside the bag. A keychain… with a giraffe. Of course. He should have known. Yet he was a little touched that Tenma had given him a present. Giraffes were suddenly his favourite animals.

"Thank you," Tsurugi said and smiled at the brown-haired boy. "I like it."

Tenma let out his breath and his smile got only wider. "Phew! I'm glad!" And before he knew what he was doing he had wrapped his arms around Tsurugi, pressing his face against the other's chest.

Only a few seconds later he panicked and wasn't sure what to do. Should he let go? Should he just hide into Tsurugi's shirt forever? He nuzzled his face closer and his fingers tightened around the fabric of Tsurugi's clothes.

Tsurugi, noticing Tenma's obvious discomfort and confusion, decided to not say anything and just go with the flow. He awkwardly patted Tenma's head, showing that he wasn't going to get mad and that Tenma could come out of hiding his face.

"I-I'm sorry," Tenma said muffled, because he hadn't moved at all. "I… I'm not sure why I did that? It… It was a sudden urge and…" He took a deep breath and a scent that only could be described as Tsurugi filled his nostrils. Butterflies in his stomach started to whirl around like mad.

He really, really liked Tsurugi.

His companion simply smiled at the sound of those words. It was actually kind of cute to see Tenma this awkward. He had seen him awkward before, yes, but never this... shy. Embarrassed. It was a new side of him Tsurugi wasn't used to, but definitely liked.

"It's fine," he reassured the brunet. His hand was still on Tenma's head, and without really thinking about it, Tsurugi had actually started to brush through his hair rather than pat it. "It's definitely the first time someone's this happy at me thanking them," he added with a grin.

Tenma finally managed to pull back and answered him with a nervous, yet whole-hearted smile. "Right," he said softly, inwardly grateful for Tsurugi's gentle reaction to his embrace. The fact that his friend hadn't scolded him, let alone gotten mad at all, managed to blur the thought that Tsurugi would never return his feelings. Tenma wasn't sure if he could afford it, but inside his heart, a much-cherished hope started building up. Tsurugi was a distant person, even in front of his friends, so him accepting such closeness between them had to mean something, right...?

Behind a nearby tree, the other couple was still watching them closely. The boys kept sharing excited smiles with each other, but said nothing, too intent on following Tenma and Tsurugi's every move. When the two started to walk again, they instantly followed them, determined to stay close. However, all four boys stopped when they felt the exact same thing hit their heads: raindrops. While Shindou and Kirino's smiles faded for uncertain frowns, Tsurugi glared at the sky, clearly annoyed by this gloomy interruption of their da—outing.

"Damn," he muttered, watching how other guests hurried to find shelter when the rain intensified. "Didn't Kirino-senpai say it wouldn't be raining today...?"

Tenma looked around as well and suddenly smiled when he found the perfect place for them to hide from the storm. "Tsurugi, there!" he pointed while tugging at Tsurugi's sleeve to grab his attention. Tsurugi followed his extended finger and saw a giant building not too far from them, holding a sign that said the next dolphin show was about to start.

"A dolphinarium, huh..." he muttered. The boy then shrugged and smiled at Tenma, who, not too surprisingly, was overly excited at checking out the next attraction again. "Sure."

"Hooray!" Tenma cheered, and he grabbed Tsurugi's hand in a swift move. Unlike the other time the two of them had held hands, he now seemed to have zero problems sharing this kind of contact with his friend. Tsurugi, while embarrassed, saw no reason to let go either, and calmly followed his chirpy friend to the dolphinarium. Shindou and Kirino were close on their heels, more than relieved that the couple had found a form of shelter that would enable them to stay close, yet hidden.

When the boys entered the building, it was clear they weren't the only people who had chosen this solution for the sudden rain. The dolphinarium was so crowded that they needed to push their way through a couple of times, and when they entered the room where the show would take place, the teens had a hard time finding two free spots next to each other. However, Tenma and Tsurugi managed to find their seats close to the basin, while Shindou and Kirino succeeded the same way a few rows up.

"This is perfect," Kirino smiled as they sat down. "We can keep an eye on them without them seeing us."

Shindou nodded in agreement and started to clap along with the audience when the show started. The dolphins did an admirable job at entertaining the guests, and as the performance progressed, he and Kirino began to enjoy it rather than constantly focus on the couple beneath them. There was no need for them to keep an eye on the boys, though, as they enjoyed the show just as much. Tsurugi had first been rather neutral about the event, but it was mainly thanks to Tenma's contagious enthusiasm that he began to take joy in watching the dolphins perform their tricks as well, and he eventually clapped just as loudly for them as everybody else did.

Near the end of the show, one of the dolphins' caretakers told the audience: "It's time for a little game of soccer! We would love it if you, the audience, participated! If you catch the balls, please make sure to kick them back to the dolphins!"

Just like most of the audience, the four boys looked at each other in confusion. What exactly did she mean? The dolphins were going to play soccer...? The answer soon became clear when the dolphins were tossed several beach balls, and responded by kicking them out of the basin with their tailfins. The audience started to clap as well as laugh as this cute action, and everyone that caught a ball obediently kicked or threw it back to the animals.

Seeing as he and Tsurugi sat pretty close to the basin and all balls flew over their heads with ease, Tenma simply continued to praise the dolphins with a bright smile. "This is great!" he chimed, and he turned his head to Tsurugi. "Even dolphins love soccer!"

Tsurugi grinned at him in response, not at all surprised to hear his friend say something like that. Anything that included soccer was almost like heaven to that kid. Another charm of his that Tsurugi, he realized, considered rather cute. Slightly flushed, he quickly turned his head back to the dolphins and hoped the embarrassment wasn't visible on his face.

A few rows up, Shindou and Kirino had just as little luck getting hold of a ball, but they didn't mind. They simply enjoyed the show, sometimes following the flying balls with their eyes to see where they ended up. Suddenly, when Shindou raised his head, he saw a mother who let her five-year-old take control of a ball. The little boy only managed to kick it a few rows down, his aim ending right where Shindou and Kirino were seated.

"Kirino, watch ou—" Shindou failed to end his warning in time and bit his lip when the ball hit Kirino on the head, only to bounce off and descend a few more rows.

"Ow!" Kirino hissed and grabbed his head with both hands. Those balls were harder than they looked...

While Shindou inquired if he was okay, Tenma noticed the ball coming right at them and his eyes lit up with happiness when he caught it. "I've got one!" he cheered, and he smiled at the one who had unintentionally helped him obtain the ball, vaguely recognizing the person as someone he had bumped into earlier. "Thank you, Miss!"

Kirino didn't even bother to waste words on that all too familiar term and simply nodded in Tenma's direction. Unbeknownst to him and Shindou, Tsurugi had turned around as well to see who Tenma was addressing. He inwardly shrugged at the two strangers and was about to focus on the brunet – when his head shot straight back to the couple and his eyes widened, then narrowed, in suspicion. Wait a minute, those two were...!

"Do you want to kick it, Tsurugi?" Tenma snapped him back to the matter at hand. Tsurugi looked at his friend and hesitantly took the ball when Tenma held it out to him.

"Sure..." he muttered, and he got up from his seat, tossing the ball up for his foot to catch. Not exactly thinking through how much effort he put into his shoot, he kicked the ball back with enough power for it to plunge into the water with a big splash, sending waves across the entire basin and even the few rows closest to it. Tsurugi blinked awkwardly when the soaked guests turned their heads to glare and even scold him for his recklessness. He quickly sat back down and tried his hardest to force his cheeks to stay the same colour, while Tenma let out a laugh and commented: "You underestimate your own strength, Tsurugi!" When he saw his friend's self-conscious expression, he quickly added: "Don't worry, I saw a sign earlier warning that people in the front rows could get wet. It was their own choice to sit there."

"The warning goes for the dolphins, not people," Tsurugi reminded him with a frown. There was once a time when he couldn't have cared less about getting a few people wet with his soccer, but since he had actually gained a conscious, Tsurugi disliked attracting attention to himself, especially through shameless acts like this. Nevertheless, he managed to enjoy the rest of the show and joined in on the big applause the audience gave the dolphins and caretakers at the end.

When the couple left the dolphinarium, they were glad to see the rain had stopped, and the dark clouds from earlier were slowly starting to fade. Neither of the boys voiced it, but both of them were surprisingly happy that the clearing weather allowed them to continue spending time with each other.

"Perfect timing, huh?" Tenma smiled, holding up his fist.

Tsurugi smiled back and bumped their fists together, muttering a pleased "Yeah." He suddenly remembered what he had seen before and looked behind them, spotting exactly what he thought he would see. There they were again, that peculiar couple... Those two people he had glanced over a couple of times, but started suspecting now that the times they appeared in his sight were beginning to add up. Paying attention to their appearance as well, Tsurugi had little doubt left that they were who he thought they were.

"Let's go," he urged Tenma, and he took the brunet by the hand as he walked away from the dolphinarium in a rushed pace.

"Huh? O-okay," Tenma stammered, rather surprised at this sudden action. He tilted his head in confusion when Tsurugi stopped at a place where there were not too many people and took out his cell phone to dial a number. "Who are you calling, Tsurugi? Is it urgent? Your brother—?"

Tsurugi shook his head and, to Tenma's surprise, didn't even put the phone on his ear after he pressed the last digit. All he did was let the device do its job while he looked behind them, making Tenma curious and follow his gaze. They both looked at a boy with brown, curly hair and sunglasses, who suddenly perked up and fished his cell phone from his pocket. Tsurugi smirked when the boy's face grew a little paler upon seeing the calling number, and after sending him and Tenma a panicked glance, he took his companion by the hand and started running off.

Tenma looked back at Tsurugi, who flipped his phone shut and put it away. "Were you calling that boy, Tsurugi?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Do you know him?"

"Oh, I sure do," Tsurugi answered with a self-confident smirk. He put his hands in his pockets, rather content with the success of his little prank.

"Really?" Tenma raised his eyebrows. They did seem a little familiar now that he thought about it. "He looks a little like captain, doesn't he?" Tenma smiled, not realizing that is was indeed no other but Shindou.

"Yes, he does," Tsurugi mused, still smug about the new information he had gathered. He hadn't much time to actually do anything about it because Tenma had grabbed his sleeve again and tugged at it, pointing towards another path. "We haven't been there yet!"

After hours filled with animals, shows and not too surprisingly no strange couple following them the whole time, Tsurugi and Tenma were standing at the entrance of the zoo again.

"I think we've been everywhere now." Tsurugi said and stretched himself. It was already dark and the lights gave the zoo a magical effect.

"Oh! The time just flew by, didn't it? I can't believe we almost have to leave! I had so much fun," Tenma beamed and looked directly into Tsurugi's eyes, making him blush himself.

"Yes, it did," Tsurugi said, grinning at Tenma's cute display of affection. "You came here by bike, right?" the older male asked.

Tenma nodded. "Yup, I have the keys right here," he jingled with the keys.

"Shall I ride you home?" Tsurugi said, not looking at the brunet anymore. "I mean, it's pretty dark and I was walking anyway. You can hop on the back of your bike, I'll cycle."

"W-What?" A blush spread over Tenma's face again. "I mean, uh… that's not necessary, really."

"I insist," Tsurugi teased.

"Well… Uhm. Okay then. I don't have a problem with it, I suppose," the smaller boy smiled again, startling Tsurugi. He felt his own cheeks heat up. This kid really sent all his feelings flying.

Tenma handed his friend the keys and lead the way towards his bicycle. "Should I sit down first or jump on it when you're already cycling?" he asked, smiling still.

"Jump on it," said Tsurugi as he unlocked the bike and swung his leg over to the side, kicking off with his other foot. "Go, go!"

"Ah!" Tenma managed to land on the back of the bike, almost toppling off the other side. He wrapped his arms around Tsurugi's waist, holding on for dear life.

They both, though neither knew, blushed again. Tenma leaned against Tsurugi a little more, arms still wrapped tightly around the blue-haired male's middle.

"Where do I go?" Tsurugi asked as they neared an intersection.

"Left," Tenma said as he moved to peek past Tsurugi's arm.

"Don't move!" The bicycle made an unwanted move and both Tenma and Tsurugi exclaimed a sound of shock. "Tenma, please. You're going to get us killed. It's not like I usually ride people around town on a bike."

Tenma smiled to Tsurugi's back. He suddenly felt very special, being one of the people Tsurugi _did _ride around town.


	6. Mutual feelings

**A/N: This is the last chapter, minna-san! Thanks so much to everybody who followed the story up to this point! -heart- To be honest, I'm kind of insecure about my writing style in this entire fic. x.x It seems clumsier than usual and when I beta-read the last chapter for like the third time just now, I found many obvious mistakes that just convinced me there's tons more in it as it's submitted now. I hope you guys can look past them (as well as my dumbass ending) and enjoy it nonetheless.**

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><p>"Thank god!" Tsurugi sighed as he halted in front of the pension Tenma lived. "We made it alive. I'm never doing this again. You're dangerous!"<p>

Tenma hopped off the bike and smiled embarrassedly. "I'm sorry, I really had a good time, though. You cycle so fast!" He praised, impressed.

"Oh, well, it's nothing," Tsurugi muttered. He motioned for Tenma to take over the handlebars of his bike again.

"Thank you," said Tenma, taking the bike. "I really had a good time today, Tsurugi," He blushed but refused to look away. "P-Perhaps we can do it again sometime?" He mentally crossed his fingers.

"Another outing?" Tsurugi smirked.

"Uh-ah, well. Uhm… " Tenma frowned and his mouth opened and closed a few times, but no real words came out. "Uh…"

The smaller boy looked really cute, flashed through Tsurugi's mind. Tenma was blushing, biting his lip and his large blue eyes looked up at him before lowering them again, embarrassed.

"I mean… Uh… " Tenma struggled with the words.

Tsurugi decided to put him out of misery and flashed a calm smile. "Tenma. The night's still young. Why don't you put away your bike so we can go for a walk?" He figured that was a good way for Tenma to rearrange his train of thought, and mere seconds after the suggestion, the brunet agreed.

"O-okay," he nodded. He rushed off for a moment, his face still as red as before. Unlike him, Tsurugi felt more at ease. He wasn't sure what the issue on Tenma's mind was, but he had had a lot of fun with him today, and that wasn't all. Tsurugi truly felt like this outing had helped the two of them get closer, as well as erase yesterday's tension that already seemed so far away. He now understood why Shindou and Kirino had suggested a trip to the zoo... but he still wasn't sure why they had resorted to following him and Tenma around. Did they think they wouldn't be able to handle it? They weren't little kids or anything.

It turned out to be the perfect time to ask the suspicious couple in person. Barely after Tenma had left, Tsurugi picked up a rustle in the bushes behind him. When he turned around and the rustle abruptly stopped, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "... captain. Kirino-senpai. You're in there, aren't you?"

Shindou and Kirino gulped before they rose from their hiding place, their heads lowered in guilt. Shindou had disposed of his sunglasses, but Kirino was still wearing his straw hat, as well as his light-green dress. When the first thought that occurred to Tsurugi was that it suited him far too well, he couldn't help but smirk. "I didn't know you were into cross-dressing, senpai."

Kirino went red and shot his boyfriend a dark stare from under his hat, forcing an awkward chuckle out of him.

"Ah-hah-hah..." Shindou placed a hand on the back of his head. "Well, we weren't supposed to be recognized..."

Tsurugi crossed his arms, his smirk fading. "That brings me to my point: what the hell were you two doing, following us around like that? I appreciate your effort to help us get along but it's not like we'll start fighting as soon as you look away."

"We know that," Shindou said quickly, "we just... We thought it's better to be safe than sorry. We wanted to make sure you'd have a good time."

"And from the look of it, you did," Kirino added, and he nodded towards the giraffe keychain, which Tsurugi had attached to the chain that hung onto his belt.

Tsurugi felt his own cheeks grow warm and automatically averted his eyes. "Yes, well..." he started, not sounding completely confident anymore, "... w-we still could've handled it by ourselves."

Shindou smiled friendly at him. "We apologize, Tsurugi. We didn't mean to invade your privacy. Call it... looking out for another. It's what friends do."

Tsurugi nodded quietly, but perked up when he heard approaching footsteps and looked at his seniors again. "Tenma's coming back!"

Shindou and Kirino smiled in unison. It didn't go by unnoticed that Tsurugi now called his friend by his first name.

"We'll get out of your hair now," Shindou promised him, and he bid Tsurugi goodbye before he took Kirino by the hand and started walking away.

"Good luck," the defender added at the last moment, which made Tsurugi blush even more for some reason. Good luck with what? They were just going for a walk...

"I'm back," Tenma announced, mere seconds after his seniors had rounded a nearby corner. Looking at his innocent expression, Tsurugi figured he had no idea his seniors had just paid him a visit.

"G-good, let's go," he replied, wondering where the composure from just now had gone. The fact that Shindou and Kirino had practically been tailing them all day made him feel self-conscious. If they knew the two of them weren't going to argue first chance they got, then why did they go to the trouble of following them around? Was there more behind that "looking after" part Shindou mentioned? It was just a simple outing... but his seniors treated it, if anything... like a date.

Tsurugi widened his eyes. It was nothing short of a date. He and Tenma had gone out together, held hands at a few points, and Tenma had even surprised him with a present. That's why he felt so peculiar around him... and so happy. Because their outing had been more than just rekindling their friendship. Apparently aware of his strange feelings towards the brunet, Shindou and Kirino wanted them to be in more than just a platonic relationship. Their surprising amount of effort to get the two back together made complete sense now. Those sneaky little...

Tsurugi, lost in thought, didn't know whether to curse or thank his upperclassmen. It was when he was suddenly taken by the hand that he looked up, meeting Tenma's kind-hearted smile. "I'm ready," he confirmed, gently squeezing Tsurugi's hand in his own. The single gesture made his heart speed up.

Tsurugi cleared his throat and stumbled: "R-right, of course." The two of them started to walk, not saying anything else. As they wandered off into the quiet night, both Tenma and Tsurugi were caught up in their own thoughts. Little did they know that they were quite similar: while still trying to find the right words, Tenma wondered if Tsurugi harboured identical feelings to his own, and Tsurugi did the exact same thing in regards to the brunet. Now that he acknowledged that he enjoyed being so close to Tenma and finally figured out why, he wanted to know if these feelings were one-sided... or if more might blossom between them, like Shindou and Kirino wanted it to.

The boys perked up when they neared the centre of the city, preoccupied with the crowd that surrounded them. They both held each other's hand extra tightly, which resulted in a shy smile from both sides.

"Didn't you want to tell me something earlier?" Tsurugi asked, and Tenma's smile turned a lot more awkward at the sound of those words.

"A-ah, well..." he stuttered, not knowing where to start, but he quickly changed the subject when the colourful lights of a ferris wheel distracted him. "... a ferris wheel! I love ferris wheels! Can we go on it, Tsurugi?"

Taken aback lightly, Tsurugi mumbled a "S-sure" and became more certain that Tenma was deliberately avoiding the issue when the brunet tugged at his hand to drag him along. It wandered to the back of his mind as well when they entered a gondola and it left off with only the two of them inside. Tsurugi almost instantly realized how intimate the act of sharing a ferris wheel ride was and lowered his head as to avoid eye contact, but that turned out to be unnecessary.

Not very surprisingly, Tenma grew more psyched as their car gained height, gazing out the window with a big smile. "You can see the entire city from here!" he chimed, looking at Tsurugi and back outside again. "It's so pretty..." he added, flashing a peaceful smile. The enchanting sight of a dark city, lit only by street and house lights, was indeed a beautiful sight. Beautiful and... romantic.

Tenma suddenly refrained from saying anything further. He remained seated calmly and looked at Tsurugi again, who still refused to return eye contact. Tenma lowered his glance and blushed when he saw their knees were touching. He took a quick peek at Tsurugi's face and his eyes widened slightly when he saw his cheeks were red as well. He couldn't help but feel a small amount of hope again, and just like he had done before, he treasured it dearly. How he wished Tsurugi would return these feelings lingering inside of him... How he longed to always be with him the way he had today... Tenma knew the only way to put a halt to this burning curiosity was to just confess his feelings. The complete loss for words, as well as his total nervousness, held him back before... but their current position, alone at the top of a ferris wheel, gave him more confidence. He just had to say it. Yes. All he had to do was say it outright. Those three words were all he needed. Tenma was no longer afraid, or at least not as much as the other day. Their outing had convinced him that Tsurugi liked him as a friend in the least... a close enough friend to entrust his true feelings to, even if they were one-sided. They had already reached half of the ride... If he wanted to confess, there was no better time than to say it now.

Tenma looked up and clenched his fists on his thighs. "Tsuru—" ... and received a kiss on the lips. Silencing him. Startling him. He petrified completely. His heart seemed to stop, and his brain suffered a temporary breakdown. It was only when Tsurugi pulled back, when he could see his whole face, that Tenma realized what just happened.

"T-T-Tsurugi..." Tenma's eyes were wider than ever, and his cheeks felt like they were at the verge of bursting. It was like his body started living its own life, as his finger pointed from Tsurugi at him and back at Tsurugi again, and aside from occasional Gibberish stammering, the red-faced brunet didn't manage a single sound from his lips.

Tsurugi, blushing at least just as much, didn't know what to say either. He folded his hands on his legs and admired them for a moment, quietly, before he lifted his head and flashed a smile. A shy, modest, very unusual smile for the tough-minded ex-Seed.

"... that... was what you wanted to tell me, right...?" he inquired unsurely.

When Tenma realized that was all he had to say and that he was really supposed to give an answer now, he desperately tried to get his act together, but that only made it worse. Tsurugi's kiss repeated itself over and over in his mind, and it was impossible to forget the soft touch of his lips brushing against his own. Tsurugi had just done what Tenma desired from him the most... It was unbelievable. He wasn't dreaming, was he? A light slap on the cheek made him realize he wasn't. No, Tsurugi was still sitting in front of him, beaming that awkward smile, waiting for an answer.

Tenma gave one the best way he knew how. If he couldn't speak, he was going to act. He stood up, trying not to let his shaking legs force him back down, and leaned in to wrap Tsurugi in a tight hug. He threw his arms around his back and pressed the other boy close, burying his red face in his chest similar to the way he had done in the zoo. Tenma once again smelled that scent that could only belong to Tsurugi... Tsurugi, who had just kissed him. Tsurugi, who had just made him happy beyond belief with one simple gesture. A gesture that made his entire life.

Tsurugi felt rather surprised at Tenma's sudden embrace, but when he realized what it meant, he automatically relaxed in the other boy's arms. He returned the hug just as tightly, almost reluctant to let him go. Tenma hadn't answered his question in words, but this action said enough... it said everything. It confirmed the fact that his feelings were mutual. Tsurugi couldn't believe he was able to feel this happy about something as intimate, complicated and embarrassing as love. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tenma was ahead of him, muffling his words in his shirt.

"Tsurugi... K-Kyousuke... I... like you. I really, really like you..."

All Tsurugi could do was smile at this point. Smile, and try to keep his racing heart from dancing across his chest. At last, he understood why Tenma had tried to avoid him recently... and the reason filled him with more and more joy by the second. Tsurugi lifted one hand and gently ran his fingers through his friend's hair, as a way of comforting him.

"Idiot... You wouldn't have hugged me if I didn't," he pointed out, and his smile evolved into a smirk when Tenma moved up and looked at him with a pout.

"Those words cost a lot of effort!" he retorted, but he calmed down when Tsurugi's hand slid from his hair to his cheek, stroking it lightly.

"I know," Tsurugi whispered. He really knew. Tenma had actually mustered enough courage to admit his feelings, but he was more reluctant to say something so embarrassing, unable to voice his own desires. That was why, instead, Tsurugi took Tenma's chin in his fingers and leaned in for a second kiss. This time, Tenma returned it happily.

**~ One week later ~**

The morning light forced itself through the curtains of Shindou's room, and Kirino wearily opened his eyes. He needed a moment to remember he was lying in Shindou's bed, but he woke up completely when he realized he was looking straight into the eyes of his boyfriend, who greeted him with a warm smile.

"Good morning," he whispered, and he reached out to play with the Kirino's untied hair. He really did love those pink, charming, beautiful locks.

"Good morning," Kirino replied, quickly smiling as well. He scooted closer to wrap an arm around Shindou's waist, and Shindou gladly returned the gesture as he leaned in for a morning kiss. The two of them had fallen asleep without a top due to the summer heat, and happily shared the body warmth of their connected chests, united in a tight embrace.

Kirino finally mustered the will to end their extensive cuddling session after more than twenty minutes had passed. He sat up, stretched, almost gave Shindou a nosebleed with that action and asked: "Is it okay if I use your shower?"

"You know the answer to that," Shindou replied, but the suggestive look on his face made Kirino think twice.

"... is the answer "Yes, of course", or is it...?"

"It is "Yes, of course", but... only if you invite me along," Shindou clarified, and he grinned when the already present blush on Kirino's face intensified. It wasn't the first time they would be taking a shower together, but everytime it was merely mentioned, Kirino grew rather shy and preferred to let his boyfriend lead. It was his shower, and his house, after all.

"Fine," the pink-haired boy agreed, "but you'll have to do my back in return." He gently poked Shindou on the nose, making him smile.

"I'll be glad to," he answered softly, and he took Kirino's hand in his own to give it a gentle kiss.

Just as the boys entered Shindou's private bathroom with a clean change of clothes, the brunet's cell phone rang on his nightstand. Shindou sighed and walked to his bed, making a mental note to shut that thing off when he and his boyfriend were together. When he picked up and heard Tsurugi's voice, he beckoned Kirino to let him listen along to what their teammate had to say.

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><p>"This brings back memories..." Kirino flashed a grin as he, Shindou and Tsurugi lingered outside the entrance of an amusement park, not far outside of town. Just like the week prior, the three of them were waiting for the last member of the group before entering a park.<p>

Tsurugi looked at him in confusion, not realizing the couple had been keeping him company back then, but Shindou smiled and asked him: "How have you been Tenma been?"

"Yeah, you should really give us an update," Kirino insisted before Tsurugi could answer. "Neither of you told us anything after that night."

"Consider it a punishment for stalking us," Tsurugi stuck out his tongue. He kept his hands in his pockets and looked away to fend off Shindou and Kirino's pleas, but he perked up with the other two when they heard a familiar voice.

"Ooooi! Sorry for being late!" Tenma came racing on his bike and put it away before he hurried over to the others, flying straight into the arms of his new boyfriend.

Tsurugi chuckled and gave him a tight hug, swinging the boy around once before Tenma let go of him. The two gave each other a quick peck on the lips and the taller boy whispered: "Nothing less from you, Tenma."

Shindou and Kirino looked at them and then each other, equally surprised. They had concluded that whatever happened between Tenma and Tsurugi was a positive experience, as both boys seemed surprisingly cheerful afterwards, but to see them like this... acting like they'd been a couple for months... Realizing their plan had worked out even better than they hoped, the boys gave each other thumbs up, paired with a wink.

Tsurugi glanced at them and raised an eyebrow. "When you're done praising yourselves, can we get into the park already?"

Shindou crossed his arms, sharing a grin with Kirino. "Hey, you have to admit things are fine between you again thanks to what we did. Otherwise, you wouldn't have invited us here."

Tsurugi looked away and pointed at Tenma. "His idea. He thought we needed to thank you for your help."

Tenma nodded eagerly, making Shindou and Kirino smile.

"That's very sweet of you, Tenma," Kirino commented. "We're just happy to see you two are so close now."

"Thank you, Kirino-senpai!" Tenma chirped, and he took Tsurugi by the hand before leading him and his seniors into the park.

"Let's have some fun, all together this time!"

**- END -**


End file.
